Articles Tagged Craig Leerman

What are generally categorized as “miniature” microphones come in three basic configurations: lavalier, headworn and suspended. As someone who does a lot of corporate shows and events, I’ve got quite a bit experience with all three types. Lavalier mics (“lavs”) can be attached to clothing (usually via a clip) or hidden in costumes, hats and even hair (usually for theatrical performances) to pick up vocals without being visually distracting. They come in wired versions but are far more commonly are…
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When shopping to add a new console to my company’s inventory, I look at three primary aspects: reliability, sonic quality, and routing options. Most consoles from the major manufacturers are reliable and sound great, so the choice often comes down to the inputs, outputs, networking and overall routing capabilities. There needs to be the required number of inputs necessary to handle most/all of the gigs my company works, and further, we want extensive routing options and outputs to both send…
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My Baltimore-area high school theater was outfitted with the first quality PA system I ever worked with. It had JBL horns and cabinets in a center cluster, powered by Crown amplifiers, with a 6-channel TAPCO mixer in the sound booth and Electro-Voice 664 microphones on stage. Initially, to my finely tuned 10th grade ears, the system didn’t sound very good – the performers could barely be heard, and there was a lot of feedback. But it wasn’t long before I…
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In live audio production, choosing a vocal microphone for a singer you’ve never worked with can be a bit challenging. The “correct” choice is the one that complements the voice and how the particular singer “works” the mic. Another factor is providing a comfort level for someone who may be wary of using an unfamiliar mic, which shouldn’t be overlooked—a timid, unsure performance usually isn’t a good one. Let’s first look at what we have to work with. Mics come…
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The QSC TouchMix compact mixer series caught my attention from the moment it was introduced. The control surface is without physical faders – inputs and adjustments are accomplished via the large (6.1 x 3.5 inch) color TFT touch screen and rotary knob on the surface, or wirelessly via a tablet running the TouchMix app. And it’s been designed to meet the needs of both novice and experienced users. The company recently sent me the 16-channel model, appropriately named the TouchMix-16,…
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Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of working with many great folks in our business… and then there were these people. Twisty Knob Guy: Wouldn’t stop turning knobs, even when everything sounded great. Either he was just never happy with his own mix, or didn’t want to sit still for a minute and have the promoter think he wasn’t earning his pay. The Pickup Artist: Spent more time at catering trying to get a date with the servers than…
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When I began working in pro audio, I pretty much copied what everyone else was doing when it came to microphone selection and placement – “ball” mics for vocals and “stick” mics for instruments and amps, with hardly any “studio” mics on stage except when live recording was being done. Then came a show with an older soundguy who proceeded to mike the stage in a very strange way, or at least it was strange to me. He put a…
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After working with analog consoles for decades, I was initially reluctant to switch to digital – they were confusing with their channel layers and menus and such. I wanted the simplicity and familiarity of knobs that I could easily grab and turn without needing to read a manual. But over the years, manufacturers have worked diligently to make their products much easier and more intuitive to use, and I’m now a big fan. One of the great things about digital…
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Live recording is a whole lot easier in the age of digital consoles. It not only provides the means to make better board tapes, but provides a multitude of options in capturing quality 2-track and multi-track recordings that can be used for everything from virtual sound check to a product that’s ready to go to market. In the majority of cases, a separate console isn’t needed because today’s digital boards offer plenty of processing and recording options, furthered by the…
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The cartoon at left (and larger below), which first appeared in Live Sound International at least 15 years ago, is always good for a laugh, but it also brings up a good point. One of the difficulties we regularly face as live audio practitioners is working with a variety of parties in determining what’s best for a gig in terms of system size, scale, and complexity. My approach is to first make there’s a solid foundation—basics such as enough console…
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